Bullens African Lion Safari in Rockbank also operated during this time and, much like Ashtons. The park featured dolphin shows, similar to Sea World at the time, and closed due to financial issues. The Bush Beast's wooden tracks were torn apart and carriages left to rust, and the. Water park Magic Mountain in Glenelg opened opened in 1982 and closed its doors in 2004. When the Wonderland closed down in 2004, the Space Probe remained on site for more than year and acted as a nostalgic beacon for anybody that drove past. He cited events including September 11, the Ansett and HIH collapses, bushfires and SARS. The business had just invested $250,000 on a crocodile exhibit, he said. With whispers of a future Wonderland in Sydney, it begs the question whether some of these rides may one day find themselves coming back to Australia or counterparts built to pay homage to the original attractions that made Wonderland a historic piece of nostalgia. Join the conversation, you are commenting as. OTHER NEWS: IS THIS LAST DRINKS FOR THE 1:30AM LOCKOUT? It remained open for over 18 years and was the premier theme park in New South Wales for much of its life until its closure in 2004. [5][6], The gates shut for the last time on 26 April 2004,[7] the day after the Anzac Day public holiday, and a complete demolition of the park was undertaken in September 2005. March 10, 2004 in Theme Park Discussion, I have found a couple of articles which give a far more accurate account of why Wonderland is closing and the deceptiveness behind it. Snowy River Rampage The parks flagship ride was The Bush Beast which was the largest wooden roller coaster in Australia at the time. "There was a kind of strange air of serenity after years and years of screams and shouts and the noise of all the rides and the music, the place was tranquil and relatively peaceful in the fading afternoon light. Join the conversation with your fellow The New Daily readers and see their replies. 'Tasmanian Devil' opened 1985. Summer holiday (Dec - Jan) figures: While some of Wonderland's rides disappeared long before the park's closure, former employee Mr Khan said many were relocated to make way for bigger and better attractions. Some of the rides were moved, whereas others were scrapped. This guy thought he could charge what he wanted ($500 an hour to be precise) because there was such urgency to get the Demon down and out. All rights reserved. Started Friday at 03:54 AM, By Australia's forgotten theme parks hold unforgettable memories for visitors. Followed categories will be added to My News. It remained open for over 18 years and was the premier theme park in New South Wales for much of its life until its closure in 2004. He found these particularly fascinating, and has even applied some of the technological principles to his own tech business. Something for everyone interested in hair, makeup, style, and body positivity. [9], The entry way signage at the time of closure, featuring Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk, was sold to a junkyard in Londonderry in Sydney's north west where it remains today.[10]. There was a miniature golf course called Top Cat's Putt Putt Park; prior to the installation of Fred Flintstone's Splashdown there was a putting course known as Old McScrappy's Golfing Farm. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. March 12, 2005Ambulances were called to reports of a person fallen at the 'Space Probe'.On arrival ambulance officers found a male in his early 30s trapped on a platform inside the tower approximately 30 metres above the ground. Jamberoo Recreation Park visitor numbers: The park included the Big Dipper roller-coaster,mini golf, ice cream kiosk and a miniature railway. Shooting an 18-minute video this time around for his YouTube channel Abandoned Oz, Mr Van Gerwen was able to see more detail than what he captured last time. The park had a satisfactory couple of months, but for all their rides and investment they couldn't make very much of a profit. November 2004The Lake was drained, there was heaps of stuff under there that had fallen out of people'e pockets over the years while on Bountys Revenge. I honestly think I would have gone to Wonderland every second day in the school holidays. According to Khan, the construction of the Park would take three years. Sydney's Wonderland theme park is dead and buried but some of its most popular rides live on after finding new homes at theme parks across the globe. It was an institution for many, and a hotspot during school holidays. Eventually, in 1992, all of the Taft Broadcasting Parks were sold to Viacom and re-branded as Paramount Parks. Photo Wonderland Eurasia. We are thinking ahead of time, he said. At the time, the park hadthe largest water-slide setup in the southern hemisphere. Both parks had at least twodeaths as well as injuries which contributed to their eventual closure. Theme parks need a capital injection of between $3million and $4million each year to survive. This goes against everything the CEO said and what Sunway would like the general public to believe. "It was basically a 'wear-out' process," he says. Go here for more 90s and 00s nostalgia. Two years earlier, the Skyway had closed as construction began on the three massive E-Ticket attractions - The Matterhorn Bobsleds, The Submarine Voyage, and the Disneyland Monorail - that would herald the park's famed "second opening day." When that day came in '59, the Skyway had been rerouted also that it travelled THROUGH the . Half the size and height of, 'Antique Autos' opened 1985. 01/01/92 - Bursting At The Themes; . Its main attraction was a figure-eight roller-coaster called Jazz Junction, with its track running overhead along the fifth level. Your link has been automatically embedded. November 30, 2004They started removing The Demon Station. Only one ride, Skyrider which was the former cable car at the Sydney Showgrounds, was added between the 1997 takeover and the park's closure. in 2020 , leaving a strong feeling . BuzzFeed Staff, Australia. The most depressing thing was realising we were standing on the exact same spot where the actual Beastie used to be, he said, referring to the parks smaller wooden rollercoaster. Started Thursday at 09:35 PM. Western Sydney resident Chris Watts spent 19 . The park opened in 1999 and featured a $26 million Titanic walk-through attraction based on James Camerons film. Overseas attendees provide a better yield once they pass through the gates, with Japanese visitors the best spenders. Why did wonderland shut down? He describes its closure as a tragedy. We are all aware of Sea World, Dreamworld and Movieworld. When we took over eight years ago, the park's future was uncertain, Since then, we have lifted the overall performance of the park, completely rebuilt its image and brand awareness but this had not been enough. It remained open for almost nineteen years and was. Control Switches - other than operator's console, New entrance to carpark - Concept Art - 2003, Proposed Colour Design - Retail Outlet - 2003, The Batty Chicken Proposed Colour Design - 2003, Australia's Wonderland 1985 Limited Edition Souvenir Book, Australia's Wonderland Facts Sheet - 1997, ATTENTION ALL STAFF - Feb 4. Balnaves dismisses claims that international events including September 11 and SARS drove Wonderland to the wall as "excuses". It is now a housing estate, with the only reference to it being a street called Leisureland Drive. 1:07pm Feb 2, 2017. During that time he shot photos showing the remains of what was once a special part of many people's childhoods. 2002-03: 81,500 Don't have an account? The park shut its doors in 2005 citing financial woes. You can post now and register later. Some wouldn't survive. During main operation of the ride, the ride spins so fast that the rider cars rise in the air, so the rider is horizontally parallel to the ground. THE Illawarra's only theme park is proving more popular with visitors, despite Sydney's Wonderland closing its doors citing the impact of terrorism, SARS and Asian bird flu. The site is now mostly occupied by Riverside Oaks golf. For many years, Wonderland's flagship ride was 'The Bush Beast' which was the largest wooden roller coaster in Australia. The Real Reasons for Wonderland's Closure, Dreamworld announces Wave Swinger, Dreamland (DreamWorks retheme) and new coasters. Sydney electrician Dave Naylor made a similar visit, Aussie travel predictions will surprise you, Familys plea months after climbers death. The Demon, or Boomerang as it classified by manufacturers Vekoma, originally operated at the shorty lived World Expo in Brisbane in 1988 under the name Titan. From foraging for food to prepping for an apocalypse, holidaying in the metaverse and bondage retreats: Youll never believe the holidays Aussies are most excited for in 2023. Serendipity Fun Park in Devonport opened in 1988, but closed only 16 months later, after facing financialproblems. When it opened in 1985, SkyRider was the first standup roller-coaster in Canada . A 'Parachute Tower' built by Vekoma, the Skyhawk consisted of four cars; two for sitting passengers, two for standing. Wonderland (TIME) has lost 96.4% of its value since tapping a $10,063 ATH three months ago. DECEMBER 18 2004The Wonderland Sign above the front gate was taken down and sold for $1,000 to a Junkyard in Londonderry. Wonderland Sydney was a theme park in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Dazzeland, Adelaide 'Galleon's Graveyard' opened 1987 as "Captain Caveman's Clippers." Relocated from, This page was last edited on 6 February 2023, at 00:58. Speaking to Nine News at the time, Mr Naylor said visiting the site brought back memories he had as a child. Wonderland Sydney / Via Twitter: @Wonderland_Syd Your parents wouldn't leave the park without one. A look back at Australias forgotten theme parks. Australia's Wonderland's predecessor, Magic Kingdom Amusement Park opened in the 1970s and promised a massive day out for just $6. Copyright 2023 The New Daily. Domestic tourism accounted for 96 per cent of the park's business, and 68 per cent of visitors were from Sydney. Author: Kathy Mac Dermott April 28, 2004"Wonderland IS CLOSED" sgin in the carpark. Watts, 42, and friends have built an online community to celebrate Wonderland, with the Wonderland History website and a Facebook group. Here Are 21 Photos of Wonderland After The Theme Park Closed Its Doors To The Public. Sonfena demolitions was given the go ahead to finish and complete a non recoverable demolition on the intire park as quickly as possibal, the only areas they where instructed not to touch was the fenced off area around the Zodiac, Space Probe. While few probably still play this game or even heard of it, it was one of the few turn based MMORPGs out there. Vekoma said it was not uncommon for its rides to remain in service for decades at a time. Granted, it's the first time it's been published (what are the sources of the articles, by the way? The park opened in 1970 and closed by 1980, it was run by the Ashton family, of Ashtons Circus fame. [17][18], Property developer, and former employee of Wonderland Sydney, Ammar Khan, announced plans to develop a new amusement, entertainment and retail attraction to be named Sydneys Wonderland in Western Sydney and has been seeking financial backing for the relaunch since 2009. There was an error submitting the form. Balnaves started working on feasibility studies for Wonderland in the early 1970s and opened the park in December 1984. I don't think anything will surprise you though, most of us were aware of what has been going on for some time. Tricoart The Fox Studios Backlot in Moore Park was also a much-loved treasure among film buffs. Wonderland's demise follows the closure of Old Sydney Town on the Central Coast and the Kinkuna Country Fun and Fauna Park at Lakes Entrance, Victoria. Adventure Parc, Tamborine Mountain; Amazons Aquatic Adventureland, Jindalee - closed down in 2001, the site has since become Centenary Quays, a gated community Get The New Daily free every morning and evening. The country's remaining theme parks of Dreamworld, Movie World and Sea World work because of their clustering on the Gold Coast. log in. When the aforementioned "excuses" hit, this portion of the attendance did take a huge hit. Sydneys Wonderland revamp gets $1 billion funding. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. This also impacted on Visionland who purchased the ride and they were also chased for payment even though it was outside their contract with the Canadian "experts". The professional gardener said the site is still filled with rotting material, with some parts of the land holding more debris than he expected. Wonderland Sydney was a theme park in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Its headline feature was a jungle boat cruise which allowed visitors to pass large concrete dinosaurs, with speakers set into the grass. Sydney's Wonderland theme park is dead and buried but some of its most popular rides live on after finding new homes at theme parks across the globe. Most of the rides were sold to other amusement parks, while 'The Bush Beast', 'The Beastie' and 'The Snowy River Rampage' were demolished. You cannot paste images directly. There was also signage from an old food stand, listing ice cream for sale. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. Grundys, on the Surfers Paradise beachfront, opened in 1981 and closed in 1993. The park haddodgem cars, a roller-coaster, an arcade, mini-golf, bumper boats and gravity-defying ride called The Scat. The park opened in 1997 and operated for four years. The content of this website is provided for information purposes only. Taking the technology and making it move in a different direction.. Theme park analyst David Barbuto, of JPI Consulting, says Wonderland had lost its identity and did not offer a sufficient menu of attractions to lock people into a four- to six-hour stay. Strongline Engineering removed the attraction in September 2005 and. This amusement park in Frankston, opened its doors in 1966 and operated for almost 10 years. He said some of the rides will stem from the now defunct Wonderland Sydney, such as the Bush Beast, but will harness cutting edge technology as well as setting new boundaries. Keep track of all the parks and rides you've experienced, Rate and review your favourite attractions, Join the discussion in our forums to find out what new rides/attractions are on their way. However, it is still believed to be sitting in pieces in a paddock at the Malaysian theme park. Warner Village have been a bit slow on the uptake (and some badly timed attractions and aquisitions targeting international guests didn't help), but they're pretty well back. DECEMBER 14, 2004The Demon lift was taken down. The Demon is completly down but still on site. By In September 2015 the proposal received financial backing with a $1 billion cash injection from a consortium of investors via the multinational, Fox Petroleum Limited.[28]. With China's rise and democracy's decline, what will the global order look like in 2050? A small lake equipped with paddle boats. We couldnt get the smiles off our faces, he said of the visit. by Anna Mendoza. Urban Estate Developments Pty Ltd owner Ammar Khan said a Badgerys Creek site would be the best location for Worlds of Wonderland. 09/03/04 - What do you think of Australia's Wonderland closing down? Please try again. February 17, 2004Wonderland's chief executive Stephen Galbraith said the park would close its gates because of a number of challenges faced by the tourism and leisure industry in recent years. An "extravagant" project. 'Funnel Web' opened in 1985, and removed in 1990. Many of the attractions were demolished after the parks closure. The Sydney park was immediately closed after the fire and most of the park was demolished. ``But in the longer term it's going to have a negative impact on the industry. All times AEDT (GMT +11). Selling fun just not the Wonderland it used to be The heartbroken family of Matthew Eakin, who died on the K2 in Pakistan, has made a desperate plea for help to retrieve his body. 12 February 2004ING Industrial Fund teamed up with The PacLib Group to buy wonderland.Hartford Lane Pty Ltd entered into a Put and Call Option Deed with Paclib Industrial Pty Ltd to dispose off Wonderland Sydney, the land measuring 58.87 hectares (Lot 11, Plan 1025320) and buildings, structures and theme park rides thereon for a total of $52.5 million AUD, excluding Goods and Services Tax, paying $10 million at exchange and the balance payable on settlement in January 2005.Hartford Lane Pty Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eastern Glory Enterprises Ltd.Hartford being the Trustee of Sunway Australia Unit Trust , the registered owner of the Property. Friday August 26, 2005The Beastie was demolished. People are not travelling overseas and Macquarie Leisure has been able to tap into this to bolster its domestic visits. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. Wonderland Sydney , was an amusement park in Eastern Creek, Sydney, Australia. It was built in 1980 and closed after a decade of operating. Childhood shattered. Leisureland Fair But a small handful didn't suffer the same unceremonious fate and were packed up and shipped off to other amusement parks all around the world. I saw things I remember clearly as a child, pieces of rides I used to love that were still just sitting there, fading.. On several occasions in the period between the park's closure and its demolition, he jumped its fence and roamed the abandoned acreage. Your Rating. Magic Mountain at Gold Coasts Nobbys Beach was built in 1962 and closed in 1991. Your previous content has been restored. The park was modeled heavily around Canada's Wonderland, a theme park located north of Toronto, with both parks being constructed by Taft Broadcasting, a company which also owned Hanna-Barbera. News 4; More attractions at Wonderland Sydney Top rated experiences at Wonderland Sydney. It was sad to look out and see there really was nothing left of it. Just 14 years ago, Sydneys Wonderland was filled with the screeching of roller-coasters, the scent of dagwood dogs and the laughter and excitement of schoolkids spending their pocket money at Australias most loved theme park. The ride was sold in 2005 to Fly Coaster, a small. Plans for the park include a water park, a wildlife park and the return of the Wonderland. A parachute would then allow riders to slowly descend to the ground. Anzac Day - April 25, 2004The gates shut for the last time. Saturday August 27 6am, 2005The Bushbeast was demolished.One of the steal cables from the Sky Rider was taken down and wrapped around the bushbeast and then connected to two D9 bulldozers which tried to pull the bush beast over, the bulldozers moved towards the Snowy River Rampage pushing everything in there path into the Snowy River Rampage with the cable around the Bush Beast and a dozer on each end of the cable they tried to pull the Bush Beast over, The Bush Beast did not go down without a fight, the SkyRider cable snapped several times and in the end they just drove the dozers through the supports with the structure coming down behind them.. Monday August 29, 2005 They started seperating Bush Beasts sleel track from the wood and demolished the station. "At lower elevations, where it did not snow Successive inconveniences and high costs caused Wonderland Eurasia to . Any unauthorised use of Parkz content is expressly prohibited. A steep sled slide, finishing in water. It is kind of like having a foot but you dont know the exact shoe size., SYDNEY WALK-THRU JUNKYARD THAT HAS EVERYTHING. Five-centuries-old saffron and ginger found preserved in shipwreck off Sweden, Chinese migrants walked a gruelling 500km to Victoria's goldfields in the 19th century. Music by Jonny Higgins - http://www.jonnyhiggins.com/contact/For a lot of Australian's Wonderland Sydney is ingrained in their childhood, but internationally. 'Skyway' opened 1997. The 19-year-old thrill venue is being bulldozed for a traditional industrial estate, leaving Sydney without a major theme park attraction and Wonderland's Malaysian vendor with a hefty profit from the land sale. The Bush Beast was identical in layout to the Wild Beast at Canada's Wonderland and Grizzly at Kings Dominion. Crowd pleasers This all comes from marketing pretty much. Jim Eddy, who runs Jamberoo Recreation Park, does not buy Wonderland's argument and says business could not be better. In 2016, Sydney electrician Dave Naylor made a similar visit to the site with friends, describing the area as a boneyard of fond childhood memories. Wonderland's chief executive Stephen Galbraith said the park would close its gates because of a number of challenges faced by the tourism and leisure industry in recent years. The first one has some insight from Neil Balnaves from Dreamworld (Macquarie Leisure). IS THIS LAST DRINKS FOR THE 1:30AM LOCKOUT? ``I don't understand (Wonderland) suggesting SARS is to blame. Upload or insert images from URL. Beasties two blue PTC Trains under the cover of the stables in the back paddock behind Minchinbury reservoir. However, Taft only had a minority stake in Australia's Wonderland and sold their stake to other Australian investors. Bush Beasts Red PTC Train and two Yellow PTC carrages in the back paddock behind Minchinbury reservoir. Now, new images show how the theme park was left to rot. It was put into voluntary liquidation in 1934, with its rides dismantled and sent to Luna Park in Sydney. . A Vekoma spokeswoman told nine.com.au that due to the Boomerangs' "thrill factor and a small footprint" it was snapped up by Alabama Splash Adventure in the US where it operated as the Zoomerang for seven years. Firstly I'd like to say that this is my first post here at themeparkinsider, and that I too am an employee at Wonderland Sydney. 'The Beastie', a smaller version of The Bush Beast which catered to younger riders, was also one of the original rides. [1] Officially opened in December 1985 by the Premier of New South Wales, Neville Wran,[2] the park was the largest in the southern hemisphere. Well-known circus family, the Bullens, also had other lion parks in NSW, Queensland and South Australia. Okay, so the official reason given by the park was that it was a combination of a downturn in air-travel post 9/11, SARS, Bird-Flu, HIH Insurance collapse, (stuff outside it's control). 'Skyhawk' opened 1991. When it shut its doors to the public in April 2004, he wasn't quite ready to let go of his childhood. [4] Today, the five Paramount Parks continue successful operation, purchased in 2006 by amusement park operator Cedar Fair. "Theme park junkies want more than one theme park experience in their holidays," Cox says. By Badgerys Creek is ideal but the sites are still under investigation, he said. Wonderland's lack of branding also meant the park could not harness valuable merchandising sales. Among the rides to find new homes was The Demon, which served as Wonderland's unofficial flagship attraction for more than a decade. GoGoBoy, It was where everyone went; it was just awesome. The developers sought to provide an alternative to the troubled Luna Park Sydney, which had opened and closed multiple times in its recent history. The park appears to have been abandoned since 2015. The space probe and the demon were operating and the guysers on the snowy river rampage where going off. "I climbed up to the top of the lift hill [an upward sloping section of track] of The Beastie to take some photos and get a better idea of the devastation of the park," Watts said. Leisureland Fair was in Langwarrin, in Melbournes south-east, and operated from 1984 to 1992.